'Floyd Mayweather left my grandpa Muhammad Ali shocked when I told him about fight

The legendary pugilist, often hailed as the greatest of all time, had an extraordinary 21-year career that brought him to the pinnacle of the boxing world. Known affectionately as 'The People's Champ', Ali captured three heavyweight titles from 1960 to 1981, won Olympic gold for the United States and faced off against numerous elite opponents during a golden era for the sport.

Despite his global fame and trailblazing achievements in the ring, Ali's earnings are a mere shadow compared to what today's leading heavyweights amass. For instance, it's believed that Ali’s most substantial purse was around $8 million for his bout with former sparring mate Larry Holmes in October 1980. Meanwhile, his 1975 Thrilla in Manila clash with Joe Frazier, which is often considered the most significant fight in boxing history, brought him a reported $6M.

Even though these amounts were groundbreaking at the time, they seem trivial next to the gigantic payouts that Mayweather Jr has bagged for some of his showdowns - a fact that Ali reportedly couldn't grasp. "You know, years ago when he was still alive, we were telling him how much Floyd was getting paid for his fights because Floyd was making a lot of money," Biaggio Ali Walsh, Ali's grandson, told the Mirror.

"He was making over 100 million for his fights. And my grandpa was sitting in the chair. He's like, 'No, no, no.' 'Oh, yeah. Yeah, bro. He's making 100 million.' And he's like, 'No, no way.' I'm like, 'Yeah, dude, that's where boxing is now.'"

With a spotless record of 50-0, Mayweather Jr stands as a contender for the title of greatest boxer of the 1990s and 2000s - clinching 15 major world titles across five divisions, from super featherweight to light middleweight. Known as 'Money,' Mayweather Jr amassed an impressive fortune from his time in the ring.

Reports claim that Mayweather Jr's 2017 bout with UFC champ Conor McGregor netted him an eye-watering $275M - potentially the highest boxing purse ever recorded. Additionally, his highly-anticipated matchup against Manny Pacquiao in 2015 reportedly added another $250M to his earnings.

Floyd Mayweather Jr has made a fortune from boxing(Image: Getty Images)

Noteworthy too is the $80M payday Mayweather Jr is said to have took home after his 2013 victory over Canelo Alvarez. With these figures in mind, estimates in 2025 place Mayweather Jr's net worth at around $400M, with career earnings surpassing $1 billion.

As Walsh carves out his niche in the combat sports arena, he approaches his forthcoming bout against Ronnie Gibbs for the Professional Fighters League on June 27 with an undefeated 2-0 record. The 26-year-old martial artist, who trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, however explained that despite his lineage, it was not his grandfather’s boxing legacy that drove him into the fighting world.

He added: "You know, what's crazy is he didn't inspire me to go into combat sports. He inspires me to live the way he was as a person is how he inspires me the most. You know, he had the platform and he had the fame and he used that platform to help people.

Biaggio Ali Walsh has spoken about his grandfather, Muhammad Ali(Image: (Cooper Neill / PFL))

"You know, he...he's done so much good in his life as a person and he's helped so many people. You know, he never said no to an autograph. He made so many people smile.

"People would hand him their kids, [he would] hug them and kiss them and sign autographs. And he was funny too - he'd do magic tricks on people on the street, have no bodyguards walking, you know, not like...like Floyd today. You know, he just walks around with 10 foot bodyguards and just acting like he's better than you.

"Papi was a people's champion, you know? And the people loved him. You know, he didn't have no bodyguards. He walked down the street and just signed autographs, take pictures with you, he loved the people.

Biaggio Ali Walsh is making a name for himself in mixed martial arts(Image: (Cooper Neill / PFL))

"So it wasn't his combat talent that made me want to go into combat sports. It was who he was as a person that inspired me more. You know, if I ever get to a platform, you know, to even get kind of close to that level is almost impossible. He inspires me to try to use my platform to be able to do that and help people.

"So, yeah, but to even get close to his level of fame is I feel like it's impossible. I mean, he just treated people so good. Like choosing the combat route was...that was my own choice. I was always a fight fan my whole life, especially boxing before MMA. Like when I was 14, that's when I kind of started watching MMA.

"But the combat route was like that was my own choice. But the biggest thing he inspires me with is who he was as a person and his faith in God. You know, so that's what inspires me most about him."